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The Porcupinefish

This strange looking creature is a porcupinefish. It gets its name from the many sharp barbs that cover its body. When this fish feels threatened, it gulps in water and inflates in size, causing all those barbs to stick straight out. That makes it a very unappetizing meal for the bigger, hungrier fish.

This little fish was the very first item in The Children's Museum of Indianapolis' collection! It was donated to the museum back in 1925 by an Indianapolis Public School student. It is very special to us that IPS students helped to build our wonderful collection. When the call went out to IPS students in 1925 for artifact donations, we received hundreds of unique and fascinating objects!

Even though the porcupinefish’s accession number is 28, we know that it was first the object donated to the museum and it was given the number 28 when the objects were cataloged at a later date.

In the Mini Masterpieces exhibit, there is a miniature representation of the Museum’s first home, the Propylaeum Carriage House, which is still located at 14th and Delaware streets. You'll notice that the porcupinefish is featured on the display case!

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Founded in 1925, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to creating extraordinary family learning experiences that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. With a 472,900 square-foot facility situated on 29 acres, it is the largest children’s museum in the world. Visitors can explore the physical and natural sciences, history, world cultures, the arts, see how dinosaurs lived 65 million years ago in Dinosphere: Now You're in Their World®, experience Dale Chihuly's Fireworks of Glass, and examine children's impact in shaping history inThe Power of Children: Making a Difference.